The Australian schools of the air: the conundrum of who teaches

This paper examines the question of who ‘teaches’ children in the Australian school of the air context, where responsibilities lie, the perspectives and roles of teachers and parents and ‘where’ the school in fact is. It uses Carnarvon, WA as the extant example, considers the changing nature of outback isolation in the area, and what this may mean for future school of the air education. It concludes that the school of the air is an unusual ‘dual teacher’ situation, that the parent/teacher relationship is complex, and that the relative roles and impact of the two upon the child's education is little understood.